Member of Senate Judiciary Committee calls on group to investigate abuse allegations against Keith Ellison after he again denies claims

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Sunday that the committee should investigate allegations of physical and emotional abuse made against Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison.

“I’ve been very clear that I make no excuses for anybody who engages in this kind of behavior,” Hirono, who has been an outspoken critic of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, said Sunday on “CNN’s “State of the Union.” “As far as Keith Ellison, these charges need to be investigated and appropriate action taken.”

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Several months ago, the son of Ellison’s ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, accused the politician of abusing his mother, including sending threatening text messages and dragging her off a bed by her feet.

Ellison has denied the allegations, including Friday, when he said “it simply isn’t true” during a debate for Minnesota attorney general. He also claimed that Monahan was “harassing” him.

When asked if there could be any further allegations from other women, Ellison said he couldn’t be sure what someone would “cook up.”

“Look, in this political environment, I don’t know what somebody might cook up,” he said. “But I could tell you that there is absolutely nobody that I am aware of who has any sort of -- who is threatening or suggesting or who has ever made a prior accusation about me.”

Karen Monahan claims the physical abuse was recorded — her son, Austin, said he saw the tape on her computer — but that she lost it while moving.

Ellison said such a video could not exist because he "never behaved in this way, and any characterization otherwise is false."

Last week, ahead of the debate, Monahan posted what she claims is a 2017 medical record in which she told the doctor about the alleged abuse.

“She states that she was in a very stressful environment for years, emotional and physical abuse by a partner with whom she is now separated,” the note reads. “She did not have any physical injuries that required a physical examination in the past. She identifies the individual as congressmen (sic) Ellison, and she is worried about retribution if she identifies him publicly.”

Hirono’s call for an investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee comes days ahead of Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s scheduled testimony about an alleged attempted rape from when he was a teenager.

A spokesperson for Ellison’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.